 [continued from above] The name changed around 1932 to Sugar Daddy which was a popular expression at the time. It suggested a wealth of sweetness. Below is a magazine ad from 1976 which includes the Sugar Mama (1965) and Sugar Baby (1935). Sugar Baby is still available but the Sugar Mamas (chocolate covered Sugar Daddies) were discontinued in the 80s. Some of you may remember giant Sugar Daddies made as a promotion for the Billie Jean King - Bobby Riggs tennis match. They weighed a pound each. The makers of Sugar Daddies sponsored the tennis match billed as the "Battle of the Sexes" on Sept. 20, 1973. The giant Sugar Daddies were discontinued after the match and briefly brought back in 2009. They are no longer being made.
 While growing up in the 1970’s, one of my fondest memories was purchasing and eating Sugar Daddy caramel suckers. My Father gave me quarters to buy the treats. On my way home from school my friends and I would stop at the local Stop and Go Store where I would stock-up with one or sometimes two Sugar Daddies. They were always good and stuck to the roof of my mouth and to my teeth. I remember chewing the caramel from around the stick - that was the best part, although I knew it was the end of the treat - so it was sad at the same time. The second best part of my Sugar Daddy was receiving the Animal Cards, which were between the white waxed paper and the outer yellow wrapper. Loving all animals has been my passion long before I was old enough to eat candy, so seeing the pictures of the various wild animals and learning about the fun facts, which were printed on the back of each card was such a thrill. My father encouraged me to collect the cards and they became my first experience of collecting. I was, however, a little discouraged that I had tossed so many of the cards from prior years. Dad assured me that starting the collection with the cards I had would pay off in the future. Often I felt cheated since there were so many cards I had not seen. I wondered what animals were on those cards and what facts were there to learn. Many years later I realized that I had saved a stack of the Sugar Daddy Cards. It was when my wife was passing away from cancer and I needed to find something to redirect my attention. Looking on EBay I was pleased to not only reacquaint myself with the cards I had tossed from years before but to see the cards I had never seen but had always wondered about. Continuing my collection helped me through this tough time. I currently have collected all but eleven of the Sugar Daddy cards from each of the ten series, which bear animals. ~ George from California. |
